Civics Education Bill Advances On Beacon Hill

BOSTON (AP) _ Beacon Hill lawmakers are weighing legislation aimed at helping ensure young people in Massachusetts have a better understanding of how the country's political system works and their place in it.

The bill approved this week by the Massachusetts Senate is meant to strengthen civics teaching at a time when some on Beacon Hill and beyond worry the ties that knit the country together are fraying.

The bill would require schools to expand on existing requirements that American history and civics education be taught along with instruction in the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights.

It would also require schools to teach the electoral process and help students participate in civics projects and develop media literacy skills to better analyze online, television and social media.